Mulching

Mulching is one part of a three-step process you should follow to help your garden grow to its fullest potential. (Weeding and edging are the other two steps). Accomplishing all three tasks on a regular basis will result in a perennial garden you'll be proud to call your own, but it will also make tending your garden an easier job.

Mulch serves more than one purpose - it improves the appearance of your garden but it also keeps weeds at bay and holds more moisture in the ground around the plants. If you really care about creating a healthy, beautiful garden, organic mulch is even better, as it enriches the soil, providing much-needed nutrients to the vegetation that surrounds it.

Certain materials make the best organic mulches: shredded leaves, dried grass clippings, buckwheat hulls, cocoa shells, shredded bark or wood chips, and finished compost are good choices to create an excellent organic mulch. Shredded leaves and dried glass clippings are, of course, the least expensive choices and the easiest to obtain. Just gather them from your backyard! To find the other selections in the list, visit your local garden center.

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Note that not all mulches are created equal. For instance, mulches composed of wood ingredients (including uncomposted wood chips) cause the nitrogen levels in soil to drop. As a result, if you plan on using wood mulches it's a good idea to compost them before use. In the same vein, be wary of mulches containing grass clippings, as grass contains high levels of nitrogen that can burn your plants. Mulches such as these are viable options, as long as you keep them away from the plants' stems.

In addition to mulching, remove weeds from your garden, as they steal valuable nutrients out of the soil, have an unsightly appearance, and can overpower your plants.

To discourage the growth of weeds, edging is another good method of control. Edging basically involves constructing a barrier around your garden so that lawn grasses and other unwanted growth is hindered. Edging also prevents perennials from spreading outside of your garden area.

To make your life even easier, include large foliage plants in your garden so that weeds have less of a chance to implant in the soil. Weed seeds have trouble germinating in the shade of large plants.

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